“Treat every rotation like an interview,” said Carly Rose, PA ’18 to a crowd in 1CW in August. It was advice that current Physician Assistant Studies students listening had probably heard before but Rose, a PA at Longwood Plastic Surgery, said it was important enough to repeat it. 

That was just one piece of advice that Rose and fellow alumni Ariel Nowicki, PA ’17, now at Brigham and Women’s Hospital Neurosurgery and Neurology ICU; Katie Schlepphorst ’25, who works in the Urology Department at Beth Israel Lahey; Colby Young, ’24 from Boston Children's Hospital, Medical Surgical ICU; and Aubrey Fiacco Lipshutz, ’21 who works in Internal Medicine at Atrius Health Kenmore imparted to those in attendance at the event. 

The candid panel discussion with PA alumni followed the journey from graduation to clinical practice, beginning with the job search, interviewing, evaluating offers, negotiating contracts, and choosing the right first position. The conversation then shifted to the realities of becoming a practicing provider, including onboarding, building confidence, finding mentorship, navigating early-career challenges, and lessons alumni learned along the way. This was followed by breakout sessions that provided students with opportunities for more personal conversations, questions, and connections with alumni.

“Students have so many questions as they start thinking about what comes next," explained PA faculty member Mimoza Shehu, ’17, who moderated the panel. "Hearing what the transition actually looked like for people who were sitting in these same seats not that long ago is incredibly valuable. It’s also a wonderful opportunity to celebrate all that our alumni have accomplished and give our current students a glimpse of the possibilities that lie ahead for them.”